Roasted Cauliflower and Gouda Soup

I'm the cook in our house. I do virtually all of the cooking and grocery shopping for our family of four and it's a job I love to do! Once in a blue moon, though, I'll send my husband to the store. I'll send him with a list of just a few things I need, and then he'll browse around and pick up some groceries that strike his fancy.

Now, I'm a control freak and I like to stock my pantry and fridge with specific brands and products that I love to eat and cook with. However, letting go of the reins and sending my honey to the store every now and then is a is a good thing for several reasons.

First, he occasionally buys things that I don't buy. It's kind of like opening presents on Christmas morning when I unpack the grocery bags to see what ingredients I'll have to work with for the week. It's fun! And he buys things like beef jerky and roasted peanuts. I never buy beef jerky and roasted peanuts. It's not that I don't like them, I just don't think to buy them.

The other good thing about sending my husband to the store is that he buys in bulk. He sees a good deal and he stocks up! It's fabulous when he his the meat case. He brings home steaks and chicken and bacon in big packs that I can break up into smaller ones and freeze.

Then there are the times when he sees a great deal on cream cheese and I end up with ten packs of cream cheese in my refrigerator. While I love cream cheese, I'm not sure my hips need that much cream cheese in their lives!

So, what does all of this have to do with cauliflower soup? The cauliflower was one of my husband's impulse buys. He came across a good deal on organic cauliflower and scooped it up. That cauliflower was then put into the veggie crisper and, whoops, I forgot about it. Fast forward a week, I go to the store and buy cauliflower. I go to put it away and find the head he bought.

With two head of cauliflower in my fridge, my mind went straight to soup. I also had some gouda hanging around that I didn't have plans for and I decided it would be a tasty addition. Boy, was I right! This soup came out hearty, rich, and delicious. It's hard to believe while eating it that it is thickened with just pureed cauliflower and a potato. So good for you! I could eat this soup every day and I wouldn't mind a bit.

I never would have ended up with two heads of cauliflower in my fridge, which is what inspired me to make this soup, if I hadn't sent my husband to the store for me. So, thanks for shopping sometimes, dear! Let's hope it leads to many, many more good deals that inspire delish recipes!

Roasted Cauliflower and Gouda Soup

Ingredients

2 small heads cauliflower

3 Tbsps olive oil, split

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1 Tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups cashew milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

8 oz gouda cheese, shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut cauliflower into florets and discard the stem. Toss florets with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and roast on a foil-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes, flip, and roast for an additional 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook onions and potatoes in butter and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are softened. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 additional minute. Add the chicken broth, cashew milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the pot.

Puree the cauliflower in your blender in two batches until smooth. Add pureed cauliflower to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in gouda and continue stirring until the cheese is melted.